Whilst an MSP he served variously in the Shadow Cabinet as the SNP Finance, Economy, Lifelong Learning and Transport Spokesperson. He was widely viewed by commentators as a rising star of the SNP, an iconoclast and pro-market economist he made much headway selling the idea of fiscal autonomy to the mainstream media and society. It was adopted by The Scotsman, a unionist newspaper and later went on to win support across the political spectrum.